“There is no excuse for the Abbott government to not support the Racial Discrimination Amendment Bill 2014,” says Simon Breheny, director of the Legal Rights Project at free market think tank the Institute of Public Affairs.

“Living standards will go backwards unless the government does more to address the sharp decline in Australian productivity,” says James Paterson, Deputy Executive Director at the Institute of Public Affairs.

“A Productivity Commission investigation of the harm caused by the minimum wage will hopefully be the first step towards its eventual abolition,” says Dr Mikayla Novak, Senior Research Fellow at the free market think tank the Institute of Public Affairs.

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Family First Senator Bob Day today welcomed the South Australian Government’s move for a Royal Commission into the nuclear industry, saying the decision has enhanced prospects for submarines to be built in South Australia.

“My European Jewish brethren are in danger. Again. European streets are ringing with “Death to the Jews” and “Gas the Jews” – ugly mobs, salivating for Jewish blood. Again,” writes Michael Galak at Quadrant Online.

It comes as no surprise to hear those who have long bemoaned Pax Americana celebrating the superpower’s shrinking presence on the world stage. There is grave cause of concern, certainly, but the real problem is Washington’s neo-isolationist refusal to lead, Quadrant editor Keith Windschuttle writes.

The announcement will be made to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Lima, Peru today by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Julie Bishop MP. Read the Abbott Government’s media release.

The Abbott Government will establish the Book Council of Australia “to promote good reading as well as good writing”. Read the full list of the 2014 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards shortlists and category winners.

About half way through last night’s edition of ABC1’s normally feisty Q&A, this tweet appeared: “Great diversity of opinion expressed politely tonight…”. A tweet earlier in the program might explain why.

Right-of-centre views were well represented on Monday night’s edition of ABC1’s Q&A panel program. It recalled the 11 Feb. edition of the program last year when George Brandis and James Paterson had a very good time at the expense of the lefties.

Chris Kenny, Australian columnist-blogger and host of Viewpoint and Friday Live on Sky News Australia, recalls his experiece with the ABC for the “Diary” column in this week’s edition of The Spectator Australia.

Last Saturday, in their special election morning edition of ABC’s News Breakfast, Michael Rowland and Virginia Trioli took a look at “the great campaign moments this year” and announced awards for campaign winner and loser.

Massive spending reductions will help address the Commonwealth public debt interest which grows and grows from $13.4 billion last year to $17.9 billion in 2017 a $4.5 billion increase in interest payments.

The UK Independence Party’s success in this week’s Rochester and Strood by-election seems to indicate that the British Conservatives have abandoned the things that are most important to people, Family First Senator Bob Day told the Bolt Report.